Bedfellows with Anquish
by Xenolord
Summary: Maria is a new arrival in Battleon. Follow her from age 14 to her 18th birthday, where she recieves a special present. And her Guardianship. Shoujo Ai


Disclaimer: I don't own anyone except Maria Despair.

Author's Note: This takes place some time before For the Love of Vampires. This is back when Maria was fourteen, so about four years before FtLoV. You'll probably see a much different group of people in this. Their personalities developed in time.

Author's Second Note: Orta, you brought this down upon yourself. Don't say you didn't, because you did. You TOTALLY did!

Bedfellows with Anguish

-Maria; Age 14-

Maria looked about the town. It was huge. Far bigger then her hometown was. She was standing in the middle of the road with her bag under her arm and her father's sword sheathed at her side. The sign to her right read 'Battleon. Population, 1337'. She smiled at the cleanliness of the town. So beautiful, so serene.

She had heard rumors that Battleon was one of the most attacked lands in all of Lore. Her father had protested her move to Battleon rather emphatically, but she wanted to make a difference in the world, just like her sister. She grabbed the hilt of her father's sword and walked down the road, ready to meet people.

The first building she came to was a rickety looking shack on the left side of the road. The sign above the door read 'Pets' on a rather cut-and-paste sign. She opened the door and stepped in.

Across the threshold of the door was a nice log cabin. In one corner, a fire was burning, chasing away the autumn cold. Across the counter, Maria spied the face of a young girl, just barely able to see over the wood.

"H-Hello?" Maria asked. The girl smiled and waved.

"Hiya!" She spoke, walking around the counter to meet her. "Can I get anything for you today?"

"Uh... I'm new here..." Maria began, the girl giggled.

"Well, of course you are, silly!" She spoke. "You look so like a fish out of water. I'm Aria, and this is my Grandmother's Petshop. Well... it's kinda mine now. Grandma hasn't been in for a bit. I'm thinkin' she ditched me." Maria laughed. This Aria girl was a pretty nice person.

"Hi, I'm Maria." Maria smiled, offering Aria her hand. Aria smiled, covered her mouth and giggled.

"So formal. Are you a princess?" Maria laughed at this.

"No, I was just taught well." Aria took Maria's hand and shook it. Aria cringed at Maria's grip.

"Ow!" She muttered, pulling her hand away.

"I'm sorry! Did... did I hurt you?" Maria asked.

"No... no not really... you just surprised me... that's all." Aria smiled, but the truth was, Maria did hurt her. Quite a bit. "So. Let's get you acquainted with some of the other people of Battleon. Come on!" She grabbed Maria's wrist and ushered her out of her store and back into the street. She ran right across the road and right into the large building. She flung the door open and stepped in.

"Hey, there, Aria!" The large, bearded man spoke. He toward well over Maria and Aria. The new arrival cringed at the man.

"Hiya, Yulgar. I want you to meet Maria. She's new here." She pushed Maria in front of her. Yulgar, the large man, smiled and offered his hand, which Maria took it timidly.

"Well, hello, Maria. It's nice to meet you. Come on, have a seat. Are you hungry?" He began walking towards the bar. Maria's stomach roared in her chest.

"Uh... yea. Kinda." She replied. Aria and her sat at the bar. Maria's eyes migrated to her right (Aria was at her left.) to see a young girl with black hair reading a newspaper. She wasn't looking at Maria at all. She was just reading the paper.

"No one knows her name. She just pops in, orders food, reads the paper, then disappears." Yulgar spoke in a sotto voice. Maria looked at him with a questioning look on her face. "That girl... she's creepy. She's a bit of a loner. No one's taken the time to talk to her."

"Well. I guess that'll change today." Maria smiled and stood. She walked down the bar and stood next to the girl with the paper. "Hi!" She smiled.

"What do you want?" The girl asked, her eyes never leaving the paper.

"I'm just introducing myself! I'm Maria." She extended her hand. She looked up, looked at Maria's face, then at her hand, then back down at her paper.

"Whatever." She droned as she continued to read.

"Why are you not talking to me?" Maria asked. She snorted.

"Why are you talking to me?" She rebuttled.

"Because you're sitting here all alone. You look lonely." The girl shook her head.

"Good. I like being alone. It gives me more time to think. So why don't you go hang out with your friends and let me be, huh?" She asked.

"But I already am hanging out with my friends! Aria! Come join us!" She called to the girl she met before. Aria, with a bit of a question on her face, stood and walked to Maria, who had a seat next to the girl.

"I am not amused. Don't you have somewhere to be?" She continued.

"Nope." Maria smiled. She looked up and rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going to be your friend, 'Maria'. Forget it. I don't _want_ to be your friend. I don't _want_ to have any friends."

"Then what do you want?" Aria asked. She lost it. She threw herself from the seat, tossed the paper away and cried out:

"_I WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE!_" She then proceeded to charge out.

"You're a bitch, you know that?" Maria spoke, standing. Almost as if it were a compliment, the temperamental girl stopped in front of the door. She stood there for a second before replying.

"Yea. I guess I am." She threw the door open and left.

"That's her for ya. She's about as easy to crack as a ten ton brick wall." Yulgar muttered. "Here." He placed Maria's food before her. Hungrily, she devoured it.

After Maria had finished her food, Aria paid the bill and took her out of the inn. The streets were just as dead as they were before.

"Where is everyone?" Maria asked.

"Well, everyone who isn't a shopkeeper is either a Guardian stationed here, or wandering adventurers. Which would be people like you. They come here for money, power, fame, whatever. Not many of them live very long, though." Aria spoke grimly.

"Why's that?"

"Well, they lack training, frankly. I don't know where your from, so I don't know what it's like there, but here, in Battleon, life is harsh. This continent of Lore is the highest in monster populations. As a matter of fact, poaching is legal here. It has to be, otherwise we'd never be able to keep the monsters in check."

"What about the other group... the Guardians?"

"Well, they're the Elite of the Elite. They keep Battleon and all of Lore safe. Each major continent has it's own contingent of Guardians to keep them safe. Ours reside right there." She pointed to the three towers dominating the Battleon skyline. "The Guardian Tower. It's actually three towers, the main facility in the middle and the dorms to the east and west. It's the best place to stay. If you can join."

"What do you need to join."

"There's a couple of ways. They do recruitment drives every half a year. You sign up, and they see if your Guardian material. You can also do walk ins, but not many people who walk in are material, so most of them are rejected. Or, you can show the people of Lore what you can do, and they'll induct you on the spot. It you're good enough, of course." She spoke. Maria's eyes lit up. She could do that. She could join the Guardians. It was a great way to make a name for herself.

"When's the next recruitment drive?" She asked.

"We had one last week. So, not for another six months. Sorry. Why? Thinking of trying out?" Aria asked, looking Maria over. The newcomer smiled.

"Yep. I've got important shoes to fill. My dad, my sister. Important shoes indeed." Her hand gripped the sword at her side.

"Well, then come on, let's get you tried out!" Aria called, grabbing Maria's wrist and running to the tower.

"Hey! Wait! Shouldn't we... Shouldn't we think about this?!" Maria shouted.

"I already did!" She responded.

-Guardian Tower-

Maria and Aria came to the base of the tower. Two Guardians guarded the entrance.

"State your business." The female on the left spoke.

"We're here to get this one an interveiw." Aria smiled, showing Maria to her. The Guardian studied her.

"Tell me." She spoke to Maria. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen." She replied very sure of herself. The Guardian studied her more.

"Come inside." She droned. She put an arm on Maria's shoulder and led her inside.

"By the way, I'm Moon Called." The Guardian spoke.

"Maria." She responded.

"Maria? Do you have a last name, Maria?" Moon Called asked. Maria nodded. The Guardian waited for Maria to answer. One that never came. "What is it?"

"Despair. I'm Maria Despair." Moon Called took Maria's hand and shook it.

"Hello Maria. Let's get you all situated." The began walking down the hall, but was stopped by a young Guardian, still in training, charging down the hall. "Hey! Hey! Orta! Slow down!" She called, grabbing the girl by the collar.

"Yes ma'am." She muttered, walking. She saw Maria and stopped. "Hi!" She smiled, waving politely. Maria returned the wave. "I'm Orta. Orta Dragoon. I'm gonna be a Guardian soon! I'm working on a medical degree, too! I'll be the first Guardian to double as a medic!" She smiled, gloating.

"That's a good thing to have. Never know when you'll get hurt, huh?" Maria asked. "I'm Maria Despair. I'm gonna try out."

"You should stick around by me! I'm bound for great things!" Orta continued to boast. Her eyes drifted down to the sword at Maria's side. "Hey... you know how to use that thing?"

"Well enough." Maria responded, gripping the handle. Orta smiled and pulled the shortsword from it's sheath at her side.

"Let's see how good you are..." She smiled, a playful sneer on her face.

"We allowed?" Maria asked. Orta smiled and nodded.

"Friendly sparring is encouraged. Just don't do any bodily harm to one another, okay?" Moon Called responded. Maria pulled the longsword out (Even though to her it was more like a Claymore.) and readied it.

"How about a bet to make things more interesting?" Orta smirked.

"Sure. You go first."

"If I win..." Orta began. "You have to train with me, and be my best friend!" She continued.

"Agreed. If I win..." She thought. "Gee, I don't really know. If I win... You train _under_ me and be my best friend!" She replied.

"Deal!" Orta twirled her sword about and took a textbook pose. Maria just stood still with both her hands on the hilt, waiting. Orta made the first move, doing a wide swing across Maria's midsection, which she blocked. The blade bounced off, and sparks rained down. Orta recovered quickly and readied herself again, preparing for Maria's attack, which never came. She smiled, and attacked again.

This time, Maria dropped her sword and grabbed Orta's blade between her palms, trapping it. She smiled and threw her hands sharply to her left, the blade and Orta going down with them.

"AUGH! NO FAIR!" Orta called as she tumbled to the ground, her sword sliding and clattering along the ground. Moon Called could only laugh.

"Perfectly fair. And quite well executed, also." Maria reached down and took Orta's hand, helping her up.

"My dad always said it's not your skill with a weapon which makes you great, it's the skill _as_ a weapon which people remember. My hands can stop steel." She smirked as Orta dusted herself off.

"Well, I've got a lot to learn, friend."

"We both do. Come on." Maria grabbed Orta's hand and followed Moon Called to Artix's office.

-Maria; Age 15-

Maria had grown quite considerably in strength and ferocity in the year that had passed. She was already top of her class and climbing the Guardian Ladder with great speed. Orta and her were still as inseparable as a pair of oxygen molecules, but they loved each other's company. Orta finished medical school at an early age, and quickly found that medicine was her stronger field then Guardianship.

"Heya, Orta. Wanna go out for lunch. I met a new guy today, I wanna tell you about him!" Maria had said one day. Orta, never too busy for her friends, agreed. Maria and Orta went out of the tower towards Yulgar's Inn. They took their same seats at the bar and ordered the same thing.

"Uh... don't look now, Maria, but that creepy girl is here again..." Orta muttered to Maria. The seafoam haired girl turned to see the same girl from a year ago, as somber and mellow as ever, reading a newspaper at the bar.

"I'm going to go see if I can't get her to say hello to me." Maria replied. Reluctantly, Orta watched her friend march of to what was, in her opinion, a suicide mission.

"Heya!" Maria spoke to the girl. The black-haired woman made no response, not even a flinch, she just read the paper.

"Remember me? I remember you. You stormed out on me last time. I never caught your name." She only grunted. "Come on! Will talking to me be that bad?" Another grunt. Maria picked up the candle from the table and touched the flame to the edge of the paper. The rough news sheet erupted into flames instantly, consuming everything. The girl reacted this time.

"What the HELL is your problem?!" She shouted, shooting up from her seat.

"You wouldn't look at me. The paper was more interesting to you, then someone trying to be your friend. So I removed one factor." The black haired woman was seething, her face growing bright red.

"You want to know my name, huh? You want to know me _so bad_ you would risk your very life? Well. That can be arranged. Soon enough, you will feel the sting... of The Lion of Nightmares!" She pulled the sword she had been concealing at her other side and held it at the ready. Maria reacted and pulled hers out.

"Come get some. Despair calls you." Maria retorted, smirking at her pun. The Black-Haired loner struck first, trying to take Maria's legs off with a single swipe across the floor. Maria jumped and allowed the blade to slide harmlessly under her. "Come on, man! You'll have to do better then that." The woman was quite impressed. That was the first time someone dodged her first strike. The girl tried a different approach, by bringing the blade down in a vertical hacking motion. Maria raised her arm and blocked the blade with her guantlet. Throwing her robe off, she revealed her armor. "Oh, did I not mention... I'm a Guardian." She smirked, making a strike of her own. The black haired girl grabbed the collar of her own robe and pulled it off, wrapping it around Maria's sword and tossing the two away.

"So am I!" The girl shouted, showing her own, rather dimly colored armor. It was a stereotypical black verses white match. Maria's Guardian Armor was a cheery show of all white, while the somber girl's was pitch black. "Give up! You've lost your sword! You're nothing to me!" She made another vertical hack, which Maria received in both hands.

"Oh, I see this one coming from a mile away..." Orta muttered as Maria pulled sharply left, twisting the sword from the girl's grip and launching it behind her. The two faced off, weaponless, they had but one last way to solve this.

Maria started by trying to get the girl to kiss her fist, which the black-haired woman ducked under and made a strike at Maria's exposed chest. She twisted her body so the girl's swing barely grazed her steel breastplate. Maria recovered and took a step back.

"Hey! Be careful!" Yulgar shouted to no avail.

"You're quick for a piece of seaweed, little girl..." The black-haired woman taunted.

"Last I checked, dirt never moved..." Maria retorted, deflecting another would-be sucker punch with a flick of her wrist.

Blow for blow, Maria matched the woman, neither Guardian landing a hit on either. They soon worked each other into exhaustion.

"Ready... to give up?" The woman panted, one knee planted on the ground. Maria smirked.

"Hell no..." Maria started. "I'm just... getting warmed up! Can't... you tell?" She finished, taking a few breathes. The woman smiled. _Who is this woman?_ Maria thought, scanning her. _She's thin, frail-looking, but faster then a eagle, and built like a friggin' tank!_ She continued. _By all accounts, we're one in the same. What is she?_

"I say..." The woman began. "One more attack, then call it quits. What say... What say you?" She asked. Maria nodded in agreement.

"One more it is." The woman stood and made a last-charge for Maria. Maria, meanwhile, saved her strength and waited for the girl to close the distance. Closer... closer...

The moment the girl got within range, Maria grabbed her wrists and stopped her momentum dead.

"Huhwha?" She asked, stunned. Maria smiled and pulled her over her head, bringing her back down square on the corner of the bar. A crack echoed within the walls of the Inn. "GYA!" She shouted, falling over. Maria collapsed from exhaustion. The girl's armor lessened the force of the blow, but it, needlesstosay, still hurt quite a bit.

"If I've only got one last attack, make it count, I say." Maria smiled, helping the woman up. She gripped her back and straightened up.

"Ya know, you wouldn't know it by looking at you, but you're damn strong..." The girl smirked. Maria returned the grin.

"You too. You got a name I can remember you by?" She asked. The girl grabbed her sword and untangled her robe from Maria's sword and threw it on, striding for the door.

"Yes. I do have a name. It's Crystal Lion. The Lion of Nightmares. Don't you forget it. I'm going to ride Lore of all evil. And if that means destroying you too... I'll do it." She muttered before disappearing out into the streets of Battleon.

"Weird..." Orta muttered.

-Maria; Age 16-

Orta and Maria walked from the Guardian Tower back to Aria's shop to continue their training.

"So, you and Wolfblitzer still seeing one another?" Orta asked Maria as they walked. The Seafoam haired girl giggled and blushed.

"Yea. He held my hand on the way back from dinner." She smiled, covering her mouth. "He's so cute!"

"Well, DUH! He's the third most attractive male Guardian!" Orta replied.

"Who's the second and most attractive?"

"Uh... second is Captain Krieger, and the most attractive is..." She pulled a magazine from her backpack. Flipping through the pages, she came to the answer. "MegaPrime." She repacked the magazine and continued on her way.

"Yea, but Artix is too old for me!" Maria rebuttled quickly.

"He's only eighteen." Orta responded, looking at her friend. "Why? FALLING for the Captain, are we, Maria?"

"No. Of course not. I'm just saying he's too old." Maria replied nonchalantly, opening the door. "Aria! We're here!" She called into the emptyness.

"Alright! I'll be right there!" Aria called from the back of her store. Maria and Orta stepped in and sat on the couch before the fire. Aria had grown like a weed in the last year, gaining a whole head's worth of hight on the pair of them. Maria and Orta saw Aria as their older sister (Even though she was a year younger then the pair of them.)

"So, what's on the agenda today, Sis?" Orta asked as the brunette walked from the back of the store. Aria, carrying a little crate in her hand, sat before the two.

"Today, we are going to learn about the most unique creature in all of Lore. You may have read about them in school, but only I will have a live one to show you."

"I thought you could find Natators anywhere." Orta joked, elbowing Maria.

"Baka." Aria muttered, putting the box on the table between the three of them. "I'm referring to the Frogzard." She pulled the latch on the crate and the side collapsed, letting a little, green, two legged frog escape. The two Guardians stared in wonder at this miracle of magical splicing. The two echoed each other's feelings as they called in unison:

"KAWAII!" Orta right away had to touch it. She rubbed her hand down the back of the little baby Frogzard and kept repeating 'Kawaii' as she petted it.

"How big can they get."

"Big." Aria replied, rolling her eyes. "Like... half your size big." She smiled as the Frogzard let Orta pick him up. "They're not the most intelligent creatures, but they're the most adaptable as any you'll see. This is your basic, run-of-the-mill Frogzard. You can find them anywhere. But they can also evolve into alternate breeds. One designed for each regional climate. Fire Zards grow heavily in areas of extreme heat, Ice Zards in the north, around Frostvale, Tad Zards grow in water. The other types are magical experiments, which can only be reproduced by the same experiment. So, they're the rarest."

Maria took her turn to touch the Frogzard, stroking it's back and rubbing under it's massive head.

"Hey, he seems to like us." Orta observed as it snuggled into Orta's palms. Aria smiled.

"They imprint very well. It thinks you two are it's mother." She closed the box and stuffed it under the table.

"I wanna give him a name..." Maria muttered. "I'm thinkin' Frogger." Orta smiled at the name.

"I like it. It's funny." She agreed, transferring holdership to Maria. The door slammed open and the wind rushed in. The three looked at the new arrival. They were cloaked head to toe in a black robe, the hood pulled way down. She looked a little older then Maria. The room temperature seemed to rise as they stepped in. Aria cleared her throat nervously.

"Can I... help you?" She asked. The figure simply nodded. There came a long pause before Aria continued. "Well? With what?"

"I heard... you're the person to come to for... animal advice." The voice spoke. It was a woman, even though under all the robes you couldn't tell. Aria nodded.

"I am... what can I help you with?"

"I have a pet, you see... A rather... trying one. I was wondering if you had any material I could read that would help me... housebreak him." The woman continued, stepping into the room properly.

"Certainly... Have a seat." She motioned to the seat beside Maria. The woman took a few great strides to the seat and plopped down rater silently. She reached up and grabbed hold of the sides of her hood, and pulled back, revealing her face. The woman was young, very young, probably eighteen or nineteen. Her green eyes stared forever into the fire before her. She moved her long, bright, almost burning red hair out of her eyes as she turned slowly to face Maria.

"Hello." She spoke very crypticly. Maria just waved nervously. "New here?" Maria nodded. "I am too. Maybe we can both learn a thing or two." She turned back to the flames in the hearth. "Speaking of which..." She said the instant her head stopped turning. "Want to see a trick?" Maria nodded. The woman smiled and held her hand out to the fire. She opened her hand with the palm to the ceiling. Small whisps of fire trudged slowly from the hearth into her hand. She formed a pillar of fire piece-by-piece, until the fire was gone from the fireplace. She shut her hand and the fire vaporized, an image of a skull with long, semi-curved horns and no lower jaw, the teeth on it's upper jaw very neat, it's eye sockets bare faded with the flames, giving them a final send off. Her hand glowed a bright red. "Tell me..." She began, looking at her hand. "What's your name?" Maria swallowed hard. Orta turned Maria to face her and began shaking her head fiercely. Maria inhaled and turned back to the woman.

"Maria Despair. Guardian of Battleon." She replied strongly. The woman smiled and shut her eyes.

"Well, Maria Despair, Guardian of Battleon, I shall leave you... with this. Open your hand." Maria did as she was told, opening her right hand, palm up, and offering it to her. The woman closed her glowing hand and opened it quickly, a large flame sparking in her palm. She motioned to Maria's hand and spoke. "This may burn for a second, but the rewards are far more lucrative then the initial pain." She twisted her wrist until the flame dropped from her palm into Maria's. She was right, there was an intense burning sensation in her palm, which faded very quickly. The flame vanished, absorbed into her hand. "You're very magically apt. Was your father... a mage?"

"Yes. Why?" The woman only nodded.

"I have a feeling we'll be meeting very soon, Maria Despair. Until that time, keep that spell handy. May it always light your way." She stood and began for the door. She pulled her hood back over her head as she opened the door.

"Wait!" Maria shouted, standing. The woman stopped. "I never caught your name." Even through the black shadows covering her eyes and face, a small grin could be seen forming on her lips.

"Good." She replied, leaving before she could be stopped again. The temperature regulated again. Aria came back out.

"Oh, I never asked you what pet you..." She began. She looked about and saw her customer gone. "Ohhhh! I HATE it when people do that!"

-Maria; Age 17-

Maria, now a well seasoned Guardian, sat with her friend Orta outside Yulgar's Inn for a chat and some lunch. They were having a great time talking about the week past.

"So. Are you and Wolfblitzer still going out?" Orta asked, sipping her drink. Maria nodded.

"Yep! It'll be our third anniversary this week. He's so cool, and funny, and nice. He's everything a girl could ask for." She grinned, picking her fork up. Maria had matured much in the past year. Not just physically, but mentally as well. We were starting to see a less childish Maria. (And more of the Maria we know today.) She sat on the chair slouching over like the tomboy she was, looking over her food. "Ya know, no matter how many times I have this, it always tastes like the first time." She smiled.

"Got'cha!" A voice called from behind her. A pair of hands shot over her eyes, blinding her. "Guess who?" Maria smiled and felt up the person's fingers.

"Judging by the crappy condition your cuticles are in, I'd say... Wolfblitzer." She spoke.

"Guilty! How are you doin' dear?" He replied, releasing his grip and kissing her.

"Good. You haven't met Orta, have you?" Maria muttered, motioning to the woman across from her.

"Uh... actually..." Wolfblitzer responded, showing Maria the gash on his arm.

"Wolfblitzer! What did you do this time!" He waved his hands in front of his face and smiled.

"It was a huge fish! I got mauled by this GIGANTIC fish with a prison tattoo on his shoulder! It was THIS BIG!" He placed his hands before him, his palms facing one another, seperated by some five feet. Maria smiled and moved his hands down.

"The only things that are that big are you ego, and your lies." She droned, kissing him again.

-Feburary 16. Maria's 18th Birthday-

Maria stepped into the briefing room in the Guardian Tower. She had heard the announcement for all Guardians to report for some emergency briefing, but the torches were completely extinguished. The completely inside room had no light whatsoever inside, not even any from the hall. Maria looked around as her eyes tried adjusting to the low light.

"Hello?!" She shouted into the darkness. No response. Her voice just bounced off the walls then fell silent. "Captain Krieger?!" She called again. Again, her voice echoed then died. "Anyone?!" The moment she said this, the torches ignited, drowning the whole room in a bright yellow light. She shielded her eyes from the initial visual assault. When the shock ended, she saw every Guardian standing.

"_**HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARIA!**_" Everyone shouted in unison. Maria took a few steps back at the sight. They were all there for her. She smiled and covered her heart with her hands.

"Holy..." She muttered, smiling. Artix stepped down from his podium and presented a wrapped box to her.

"Happy Birthday, Maria." He spoke more personally, handing her the present. She took it and looked down at it. She pulled the tag out and read it. 'To that starry-eyed girl I first met four years ago'. She pulled the paper off carefully and opened the cardboard. Within the box was a sheer white cape folded nicely. The presentation of a cape was the sign that a Guardian has passed his or her training, and become a full Guardian in the service of Battleon. She put the empty box on the table and flung the cape around her shoulders and attached it under the shoulder pads of her armor. Perfect fit, and a perfect match to her white armor. The others gathered there clapped and smiled at their birthday girl and new Guardian.

"Happy Birthday, Maria!" Some of the other Guardians spoke, handing her, in order, presents.

"Happy Eighteenth, Friend." Orta, eighteen herself, smiled, handing her a small envelope. She took her time opening it. Inside was a small card that read on the front 'You're Eighteen!' and on the inside it said 'But in my book, you're a perfect twenty!' with Orta's signature under it. Written almost as a second note, there was 'P.S. If you want your present, come to my quarters and I'll have it all wrapped up for you. Come tonight.' She smiled and put the card back into the envelope.

Everyone filed past and gave Maria they're present, leaving Wolfblitzer, and another still in the room. Wolfblitzer came up first. He had a goofy smile on his face as he spoke.

"I'm your present. Sorry, I'm a bit cheap at the moment." He slapped a paper bow to his forehead and kissed her. She laughed at his goofyness and accepted the kiss. He left to go set up the Dining Hall with everyone else. The only person left advanced.

"We meet again." The voice spoke. The figure was concealed by a hood and cloak, but the voice was unique.

"That we do, Crystal Lion. How's your quest going to rid Lore of Evil?" Crystal Lion removed the hood on her head. Blood was running down her face, flowing from several cuts above her eyes.

"I realize, that if I plan on ridding Lore of all evil, I'll need some help. Friends. And if I thought you could best me, you'd make a fine friend. What do you say? We put all that nonsense earlier behind us? Forget the past and forge a new future?" She was grinning, even behind all the pain. Maria nodded.

"Sounds like a plan. Crystal." Maria took her hand and shook it in friendship. Crystal Lion nodded, humbled.

"Your reputation really does proceed you."

That night, after everyone had either eaten their fill of cake and ice cream or druken themselves into a stuper, they all filed off towards their rooms for the night. Maria stumbled through the darkness looking for Orta's room. She still wanted her present. After asking directions from the Tower Watchman (Or Watchwoman in this case.) she proceeded with haste towards the door. When she arrived, she gave two good, swift knocks. There came a pause. Again, Maria knocked twice more.

"That you, Maria?"

"Avon Lady!" Maria called playfully. There came the sound of shuffling papers and clanging dishes and the door opened. Orta was in her nightgown with a glass of wine in one hand.

"Hey. Come on in. Sorry about not giving it to you at the party, but I figured I wouldn't embarrass you too bad. Have a seat while I go get it." She went off after seeing Maria seated. She went room to room trying to remember where she put it.

"I don't like that "Embarrass" bit. What did you get?" Maria asked. Orta shuffled papers around looking for the box she put somewhere in her room...

"A HA!" She shouted, finding it on her nightstand. "That's where I put it." She picked it up and walked back into the main room. "Happy Eighteenth Birthday, little sister." She smirked playfully, putting the box on the table.

"What's this?" Maria asked, taking it in her hands. She pulled the paper off and popped the top off. Inside was a small box. "What's with all the boxes?" Maria smiled, taking the new box out of the larger one and opening it. Sparkling inside was a small, very beautiful jade ring. "Oh my!" Maria exclaimed, looking at it. "What..."

"Present from Warlic and I. I know how much you love getting into trouble, so I, with Warlic's help, created that. If you get into trouble, just hold that baby up to your enemies and BANG! Instant blinded enemies. Careful, though. It'll blind you too." She pointed with her wine glass hand. Maria put the ring on. Perfect fit.

"It's beautiful. But... why a ring?"

"Do you want the practical reason, or the economical reason?"

"Both." Maria responded. Orta chuckled.

"Well, the practical reason is rings hold those kind of enchantments better then... say, necklaces or gauntlets. And the economical reason was, the ring was two thousand gold cheaper then the sunglasses." She smirked and drunk from her glass. Maria chuckled at her drunken honesty. "That, and I thought it would look better on you then the sunglasses. Rings are so attractive." She muttered into her goblet.

"What was that?" Maria's ears perked up. Orta shook her head.

"Nothing. I said nothing." She rebuttled quickly. "I didn't want to give that to you at the party, because someone might get the wrong idea. Example; Wolfblitzer. After all. You don't swing that way, right?" Orta smiled suggestively. Maria just stared at her and nodded.

"Correct." She stood to leave.

"Oh, don't go! Stay! Have something to drink. You didn't drink anything alcoholic at the party, and that's a sin against the Beer God. Come. Have something." She motioned to the bar she had stocked with booze of all flavors and makes.

"Oh, I really shouldn't..." Maria started. Orta just stared at her, pointed with a steady hand and spoke clearly:

"You. Sit and drink. Doctor's Orders." Maria sat reluctantly.

"Is that your only way of talking people into something? 'Doctor's Orders'?" Orta nodded.

"Yep. Only person it doesn't work with is Artix. He's just like 'Psh. Whatever.' and I'm all like 'Yea, whatever.' and he's all like 'Psh. Whatever.' and I'm all like 'Yea, whatever.' and he's like 'Psh...'" Maria interrupted her.

"That's not your first one tonight, is it?" Orta looked at the glass at her hand and then back at Maria.

"I've only had one Maria tonight, Beer." She smiled and laughed at her joke. "No but seriously, I've only had like..." She counted on her fingers of her free hand. "Thirteen."

"I think you've had enough."

"I'll be the judge of that. Hold up." She stood up and stood Maria up and held her at arms length looking her over. "Nope, haven't had enough yet."

"How can you tell?"

"You're still uglier then the broad side of a Grogg." Orta replied, her cheeks flaring. Maria laughed and took a wine glass from the bottom and filled it.

"Well, in that case, Orta. I'm lucky."

"How do you figure?" Orta replied, her cheeks still red (Probably due to her state of intoxication.)

"At least I have something to compare to. You're just plain ugly." She raised her glass in a toast.

"I hear ya. To ugly women and even uglier men!" She toasted rather rambunctiously. They touched their glasses and drank. "So, you and Wolfblitzer still goin' out?" She asked as she usually did.

"Yup. It's been four years today. He's a nice guy. Funny, cute. A bit annoying sometimes, but it's the lovable annoying, ya know?"

"Yup. I know all about Lovable Annoying."

They passed some time drinking and talking about their personal lives. The sun was starting to peek over the horizen when Maria finally managed to pull herself away.

"Oh, crap! It's almost sunrise already! Listen, Orta. It's been fantastic talking to you, but I gotta go."

"Yea... yea that's cool. I gotta sleep off this hangover any way. Take care, Maria. Don't let anyone get too frisky, alright?" Orta muttered, curling up in bed. Maria smiled, nodded and went out the door. The moment she crossed the threshold, she ran right into some person's body.

"Whoa!" He called.

"Ah!" She hollared, falling to the ground.

"Hey!" He echoed.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry! I should start paying more attention!" Maria apologized.

"Hey, it's okay. But could you answer a question for me?" The man asked. Maria looked up to face him. She nodded for him to continue. "I was wondering where I might find a map?"

"A map? Well... the Guardian Tower is pretty straightforward, it's pretty much concentric circles upwards... why?" She continued.

"Because I keep getting lost in your eyes." He smiled. Maria's helpful grin vanished.

"I'm taken." She droned coldly.

"I'm taken too. Taken aback by your beauty." He persisted.

"Don't make me burn you. And I don't mean insult wise." She continued.

"I've been burned before, but normal women aren't enough to even singe me. You, on the other hand, roast me to the core."

"I'm a handful, buddy. My boyfriend will tell you."

"Can I ask you another question?" She turned around and faced him very seriously. "Perfectly straight, not perverted or a pick up line, I swear." He held his hand up. Maria sighed.

"Go on."

"Are you Maria Despair?"

"Yes, why?" Maria responded, throughly fed up with this man by now.

"I have a message for you."

"Oh?"

"Yes. A message... but it's rather embarrassing..."

"Please, I'm used to embarrassing. Lay it on me." She replied.

"Well... okay. This message is from a Oh Dee. Don't know who." He shuffled around a bit. Maria waited patiently.

"Well?" She asked, unfolding her arms agitatedly. He sighed. He began reciting a poem.

"_We've known each other for so long, I feel like together we belong, to you I've been that brother, and to me you've been that mother, without you my life means nothing, so please accept this as something._" He finished, sucked up his pride and kissed Maria on her lips. "That's part of the message, I swear! I swear on the Creator's Green Lore that was part of the message!" He came back instantly.

"I believe you. Say. What's your name?"

"Uh... Shiro Kiba, Ma'am. I work in the mailroom of the tower. That was a personalized message. Can't say exactly from who, but they knew to come to me, so that means a Guardian."

"Oh Dee, huh?" Maria pondered this for a moment and looked back at Orta sitting in a rocking chair, drinking from a goblet. "I'll have the think on this."

-Next Morning.-

Maria didn't sleep at all. She was too overwhelmed with the events of the previous night. Who was this 'Oh Dee'? Maybe Orion Delen from Lolosia... or Ooran Dikkian in the tower... No matter how much she pondered the questions, no answer came, just more questions. There are millions of people on Lore, probably more then a few dozen Battleon Guardians who have the initials of O.D., but who, more specifically, would know Maria for that long? She milled the question in her head for a bit, before it hit her like a twenty ton hammer.

Maria found herself storming down the hallway towards a certain room. She couldn't believe how _blind_ she's been! So BLIND not to see what had been right in front of her for seven hours the previous night! ORTA DRAGOON! O. D. She knocked erratically upon the door when she arrived. The door opened slowly and a very visibly drunk Orta was on the other side.

"Well, well, well? Look whoshe here! It'sh good ole' Maria Deshpair! How ya doin, Missh. Deshpair?!" She announced loudly to Maria.

"Orta we need to talk. Woman to woman. Can I come in."

"Maria, you can come where ever you like!" She smiled, her cheeks vibrantly red (As was most of her body.) "Want shomething to drink? I've got plenty of the good shtuff left... oh, wait... never mind... I drank that thish morning..." She smiled and got out a beer bottle from the ice crate. "Here you go, Missh Deshpair!" She handed Maria the drink, who took it.

"Listen, Orta. I have a question."

"I may have anshwersh for you. Lay it on me, shishter!" Orta was still smiling, and drinking from a wine glass.

"Did you send me a secret admirer letter last night?" She asked frankly. Orta went quiet for a moment, took a few more drinks from the glass, then spoke.

"Took ya long enough ta figure it out, it did. Really, wash it that hard to figure out? There'sh only three people in thish tower with the initialsh of OD, an that'sh me, Ooran Dikkian, and Orik Delco, and we both know thoshe two are about as shtraight ash the road leadin' outta town! Sherioushly, Maria, you xhertainly are shlow on the uptake."

"You told Shiro... to kiss me for you?"

"Uh huh. Couldn't do that at the party, ya know, Wolfblitzher there and all. Sho, I convinched the mailroom guy to do it for me. Pretty shlick, huh?" She smiled. Maria stood and went for the door.

"I need a bath." She said quickly, making a motion to the door handle.

"Aw, come on, Deshpair! You can't shay that having another woman shwoon at your every shtep ishn't at leasht heartwarming! Aw, come on!" Orta was almost pleading. "Can I jusht shay one lasht thing before you erashe all memory of me for all time, Maria?" Maria stopped.

"One last thing. Make it good."

"I know that my methodsh may be a bit... awkward... but you have to undershtand, Maria, you were my firsht real friend. Shure, I had my shishter, Azel, but shishtersh can only take you sho far, ya know? I know you don't have a shishter, sho you don't know what I mean, but you have to undershtand where I'm coming from, Maria. My mother wash a bit on the woohoo shide hershelf, so... well, I guessh I'm a bit on the woohoo shide too. I jusht want you to know that I have feelingsh for you, and if you don't wanna return 'em, that'sh cool. I won't tell Wolfblitzher about any of this, but at the very leasht, could you anshwer me one thing?" Maria sighed at her rather well-played plea.

"What?"

"Tell me that you didn't enjoy it."

"I... I... I can't say that."

"Becaushe you did." Orta smiled.

"I... I have to go!" She threw the door open and ran out. Orta smiled at her handywork. Sitting back into her chair, she smiled.

"Oh yea. She wants me." Her lisp was gone, and the bright color left her cheeks. After all. No one knows the human body better then a doctor.


End file.
